MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Dr. Rice. Thank you all. Thanks so much.
Thank you, Dr. Rice, for that very kind introduction. And I want to say a
special welcome to Mrs. Ban. Thank you so much for welcoming all of us
here for the United Nations General Assembly, along with your husband, the
Secretary General. And, of course, welcome to the First Ladies, and one
First Gentleman -- brave First Gentleman, I might add -- (laughter) -- who
have come from around the world. The First Ladies are wearing a little pin
that looks like a book, so as you look around your table, you can see who
the First Ladies are at your table, or First Gentleman, and have a chance
to talk to them about their countries.

Members of the diplomatic corps, administration officials, business
executives, leaders of NGOs, philanthropists, distinguished guests -- thank
you all very much for coming.

I want to acknowledge our guests from the countries devastated by the
recent flooding in Africa. Already, international organizations, along
with the U.S. and other countries, are working with those local governments
to help. Our prayers are with the people who have been affected by this
major disaster.

Every September, world leaders gather in New York for the opening of the
United Nations General Assembly. They come to advance the United Nations'
historic mission. It's a mission that an American First Lady, Eleanor
Roosevelt, helped to shape. Mrs. Roosevelt was an author of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, crafted in the aftermath of World War II. The
Declaration enshrined the rights that belong to every human being,
regardless of gender, religion, race or class. Among those fundamental
rights is one that's important to every person in this room. "Everyone,"
the Declaration states, "has the right to education."

Fifty-nine years later, the challenges facing our world have changed, but
the importance of education has not. Research shows that educated women
raise better-nourished, healthier families. Citizens who can read can
follow the instructions on a medicine bottle. They understand warning
signs. People who can read are more likely to know how HIV and malaria are
transmitted, so they can make informed decisions that will keep them and
their families safe.

Many nations, and the private sector, are forming strong partnerships to
promote global literacy and health. I've seen the benefit of these
partnerships. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the
President's Malaria Initiative include programs that educate people how to
prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and malaria -- while these programs
save lives. Last year, representatives from 67 countries, 39 education
ministers, and 30 first ladies -- including many who are here today --
attended the White House Conference on Global Literacy.

That conference has generated regional literacy conferences, organized by
UNESCO. Already, there have been regional conference in Qatar; Bamako,
Mali; and seems like there's been one more, I can't remember -- Beijing, of
course. There are going to be more conferences coming up in India, in
Azerbaijan, and in Costa Rica. And I want to thank all of the people here
who have been involved in producing these conferences, especially the
people with UNESCO, but all the other people from governments that have
produced these conferences around the world.

In Qatar, Sheikha Mozah launched three new literacy partnerships with
Mauritania, Mali, and Sudan. In Beijing, Madame Liu convened experts on
literacy's role in rural development. At the UNESCO Conference in Bamako,
President and Mrs. Tour brought together 27 education ministers and 11
first ladies.

That conference in Mali reunited two presenters from our White House
Conference: Dr. Perri Klass and Maria Keita. Dr. Klass is the medical
director of the Reach Out and Read program. Reach Out and Read works with
pediatricians and nurses to give young children books during their medical
visits. Maria Keita leads Mali's Institute of Popular Education.

When they met again in Bamako, Dr. Klass gave Maria books for her pupils.
And Maria told Dr. Klass that she had trained 15 students to bring Reach
Out and Read to Mali's rural villages. As the 15 facilitators distribute
books, they'll immunize children and teach basic hygiene to mothers.
Because of the partnership between Maria and Perri, young children in Mali
will enjoy better education and improved health. Dr. Perri Klass is here
in the audience. (Applause.)

In Afghanistan -- where infant mortality rates are among the world's
highest -- I visited the Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul. The
Institute is a joint initiative of the Afghan and U.S. governments. It
receives private-sector support through the United States-Afghan Women's
Council.

At the Institute, women from the provinces have a safe dorm to stay in
while they're trained to be teachers. So far, the Institute has trained
nearly 400 women to be community literacy instructors. These teachers then
return home and train more teachers in a cascading effect. The goal is to
open and staff as many schools in Afghanistan as fast as possible.

Over the last five years, Afghanistan's primary-school enrollment rate has
increased by more than 500 percent. At the same time, Afghanistan's infant
and child mortality rate has dropped nearly 20 percent. Just a few years
of increased school enrollment have produced these promising advances in
children's health. I'd like to recognize the wife of the Afghan Ambassador
to the U.S., Shamim Jawad, and all the members of the United States-Afghan
Women's Council in the audience. Would you all please stand? (Applause.)

In Senegal, Madame Wade and I saw the benefits of the Africa Education
Initiative. The Initiative was launched in 2002 to provide scholarships to
girls across Africa and to train 900,000 teachers by the end of the decade.
Through the Initiative, six American universities have partnered with six
African countries to produce and print primary-school textbooks. These
textbooks are tailored to each African nation's culture, curriculum and
language.

Some of these books are going to Dakar's Grand Medine Primary School. At
Grand Medine, the new texts are improving educational opportunities for
children, and their families' health. As children learn from their books,
they teach their parents how mosquitoes transmit malaria. They pass along
lessons about basic first aid. They show their families hygiene practices
that halt the spread of cholera. Mrs. Wade and I met Grand Medine's Vice
Principal, Mrs. Ba, who explains: "The books are benefiting the whole
community." Mrs. Wade. (Applause.)

In Zambia, more than a million people are infected with HIV. More than
700,000 children are AIDS orphans. The First Lady of Zambia, Mrs.
Mwanawasa, is fighting this epidemic as President of the Organization of
African First Ladies Against AIDS.

This organization has brought together 40 First Ladies to defeat HIV in
their countries. The U.S. government is joining their efforts with a
$200,000 contribution from PEPFAR. These resources will support the
African First Ladies as they educate adults across the continent about
their responsibility to protect themselves, and their children, from HIV
and AIDS. Mrs. Mwanawasa. (Applause.)

The lack of education in my country is also an obstacle to good health,
especially for women. Many women in the United States don't know that
heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women. Through
the "Heart Truth" campaign, the U.S. government, media organizations and
the fashion industry have joined to raise public awareness of this disease.

Nothing draws attention like a red dress -- (laughter) -- so this is the
"Heart Truth's" symbol. Over the last five years, women have come to
recognize that little red dress. They're reminded to pay attention to the
symptoms of heart disease. If they feel any of these symptoms, they go to
the hospital in time to save their own lives. Be sure to pick up your red
dress pin after lunch, so you can join the campaign to tell the "Heart
Truth." And I want to recognize Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, the Director of the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and one of the founders of the
"Heart Truth" campaign. Dr. Nabel. (Applause.)

Another major threat to the health of women in my country, and around the
world, is breast cancer. To raise women's awareness, my friend, Nancy
Brinker, established the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of her sister
Susan, who died of breast cancer. In the United States, women were once
too embarrassed to talk about breast cancer. Twenty-five years ago, they
didn't know to go get mammograms. They didn't go for regular screenings.
Because Nancy had the courage to speak out, women everywhere across our
country now recognize the pink ribbon. They benefit from early
breast-cancer detection, which is the closest thing we have to a cure.

Two partnerships between the Komen Foundation, the U.S. State Department
and American cancer hospitals and regional experts are raising global
awareness about breast cancer. The Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness
and Research of the Americas will reach women in Brazil, Mexico, and Costa
Rica. In these countries, many breast-cancer cases result in death --
because the cancer is discovered too late. This partnership will educate
Latin American women about regular screenings, so they can detect breast
cancer in its earlier stages.

The U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research
will educate women in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
Through the partnership, women in these three countries will learn about
the importance of early detection. I'll visit the Middle East in October,
during Breast Cancer Awareness month. And I look forward to talking with
women there about this important issue. I'd like to recognize our new
Ambassador, Chief of Protocol, Nancy Brinker, and the founder of the Susan
G. Komen Foundation. (Applause.)

Last May, President Bush announced a new international education program:
the Basic Education Initiative. Through this Initiative, the American
people will partner with six nations: Ethiopia, Liberia, Honduras, Ghana,
Mali, and Yemen.

These six nations have ambitious education plans, approved by the Education
for All - Fast Track program. Fast Track education plans work. In the
first ten Fast Track countries, the number of trained teachers increased by
about 30 percent. In the Fast Track country of Niger, school enrollment
has increased by 84 percent.

In the six countries we're announcing today, the Basic Education Initiative
will support Fast Track plans to improve literacy and increase school
enrollment. The Initiative's goal is to reach 4 million children over the
next five years.

A new position in the government has been established to oversee the work
of the Basic Education Initiative and to organize our international
education efforts. I'm so glad that the new Coordinator of the President's
International Education Initiative is here today. Ladies and gentlemen,
Dr. Thomas Corts. (Applause.)

Dr. Corts has had a distinguished education career in the United States.
He brings to his new job extraordinary compassion and skill.
Congratulations, and thank you very much, Dr. Corts.

And thanks to each one of you. Through your governments, foundations,
businesses, and faith congregations, you've improving education and health
for millions of people. Your individual energy and compassion are touching
millions of lives -- including Alice Mwale.

Mrs. Mwanwasa and I met Alice at Zambia's Regiment Basic School. Alice,
who is 15, was orphaned by AIDS at the age of seven. Today, she lives with
her brother, who sells charcoal on the local market. Her sister braids
hair to make money for the family. With a scholarship from the African
Education Initiative, Alice can go to school. This AIDS orphan plans to
become a doctor, so she can care for Zambians who are infected with HIV.
Someday, she hopes to find a cure for AIDS. With her education, Alice
said, "I want to save my people."

Alice reminds us that education is vital in every time and place -- from
Lusaka to La Paz, from the United Arab Emirates to the United States of
America. By improving education, we can advance goals that unite people in
every country: healthy lives today, and a more hopeful world for our
children.